Springdale dominates Summit Academy to stay unbeaten

By: George Guido
Saturday, September 11, 2021 | 4:44 PM

After what has become a customary sluggish start for visiting teams at Summit Academy’s Steve Sherer Field, the Springdale Dynamos put it all together for a 26-point second quarter and cruised to a 40-14 victory Saturday afternoon.

Legend Ausk threw for 100 yards and scored a pair of rushing touchdowns as Springdale, the No. 4 team in this week’s TribHSSN Class A rankings, went to 3-0.

“There’s something about this place, I feel it’s like a Saturday afternoon atmosphere thing when you watch teams come in here,” Dynamos coach Seth Napierkowski said. “Leechburg did the same thing last week. It seems like you get a little stuck and take some dumb penalties. But we refocused and took care of our business.”

Ausk completed only four passes, but all went for big yardage. Springdale’s first-team defense held the Knights to negative rushing yardage before reserves got in after the game got out of hand.

Said Napierkowski: “Some guys made some big plays for us, and it was nice to get the clock moving and give some of our younger guys some work.”

Summit Academy is 0-3, but the Knights have played the No. 2 Class 3A team (Avonworth), a Leechburg team knocking on the door of the top five and Springdale.

But coach John McCloud, who came out of retirement this year to guide the Knights, is seeing some improvement.

“We have some talent,” the Arnold native said. “The hardest thing is to bring it all together.”

Summit is capable of making some great plays but not enough of them.

Jonuel Rosa-Flores caught an over-the-shoulder pass for 34 yards in the second quarter and a 27-yarder late. Razir Anderson had two kickoff returns for more than 25 yards and a 50-yard touchdown run late.

“We played the heck out of Leechburg last week,” McCloud said. “And in some different places today, we played some pretty good football. We have to have a better understanding of the game in that Monday-through-Thursday time frame, and that’s my job.”

In its opening possession, Springdale went strictly out of the Big-I formation with three players lined up directly behind the quarterback. The Dynamos moved the ball to the Summit 5 before fumbling. Benjamin Wilson picked up the loose ball for the Knights, but Springdale’s Josh Kaminski recovered a fumble on the following play.

Ausk then scored on a keeper from the 2. Three plays into the second quarter, Ausk scored on a rollout left from 15 yards, and the dynamos had a 14-0 lead.

The Knights were moving the ball well before Chase Weihrauch recovered a Summit fumble at the Springdale 25. The Dynamos went 75 yards in just four plays with Dexter scoring on an 18-yard run, dragging Ja’ Mari Anglen into the end zone.

Dexter then picked off a Kylee Davenport pass at the 41, setting up a 59-yard touchdown drive in three plays.

On the final play of the half, Logan Dexter, last year’s Valley News Dispatch defensive Player of the Year, picked off a desperation pass at the Springdale 36 and weaved his way 64 yards to make it 33-0 at halftime.

“When they called that timeout before the half, we knew they were going for a deep ball,” Dexter said. “I’m was just dropping back, and he threw it my way. It was the first pick-6 of my high school career. It was really exciting.”

Dexter ran for a touchdown in the third quarter to give the Dynamos a 40-0 lead, and Davenport concluded the scoring with a 53-yard run.

Tags: Springdale, Summit Academy